


Ineffable

by ironstatic (eloquentelegance)



Series: 100 Beautiful and Ugly Words [20]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 01:53:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5439119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloquentelegance/pseuds/ironstatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>indescribable, unspeakable</p>
<p>(What's in a name?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ineffable

_indescribable, unspeakable_

It was a gorgeous day outside. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and winter looks well and truly gone. After months of cold and snow, confined within the Institute's gray walls, Lux refuses to stay indoors a moment longer. But she does have a tall tower of paperwork sitting on her desk. She's been procrastinating. Winter isn't her favorite season, and since the Institute is secluded far up the mountains, she experienced its full brunt. The bone chilling weather depressed her and she couldn't bring herself to do much of anything. As a result, her work piled up and piled up. And now, here she is, torn between obligations and personal enjoyment.

Lux sighs, glaring balefully at her crowded desk. But she wasn't famous for her pretty face. She earned her honors, god damn it. She's fucking brilliant, thank you very much. So, she comes up with a compromise. After a minute of thought, Lux is sitting under a tree, basking in the sweet, spring sunshine. A makeshift desk is propped over her lap, the stacks of paperwork laid carefully on it. She's humming a bright, little tune, happily filling out reports. From her seat, Lux has a clear view of the surrounding area. It's mostly trees, a tiny grove of green with sheer, cliff faces rising on all sides.

A few fellow champions joined her outside. She can see Zyra nearby, planting her roots (literally). Master Yi is off by his lonesome, deep in meditation. Leona lays in the open grass, far from any shadow, and greedily soaks up the sunlight. Even Jinx is out. Wait. Jinx?!

Her head snaps up. Jinx is standing over her, arms crossed.

"Flashlight," she says, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. "I'm so disappointed in you."

Lux sighs, rolling her eyes. "What do you want, Jinx?"

Jinx glares at her, unimpressed. "Work? Really?"

"Unlike some people, I have responsibilities."

"Uh, have your spells finally blinded you? Look around! It's a beautiful day! You should be running around, enjoying the weather - !"

"I am enjoying the weather. I chose to do my work outside, didn't I?"

"Work is still work!" Jinx huffs, sticking a hand on her hip and swiping a sheet with the other.

"Hey!" Lux yelps, reaching out. She leans forward, nearly tipping over the makeshift desk.

Jinx lifts the stolen sheet higher and squints at it. "What even is this?"

"Reports. Classified reports," Lux says pointedly, pulling back. She crosses her arms and huffs, allowing Jinx to keep the sheet.

"If it was really so classified, you wouldn't be doing it in plain sight," Jinx smirks at her.

"You have no idea what I would willingly risk." Lux stares at Jinx squarely in the eye, lifting her chin.

There's a moment of complete stillness before Jinx looks away, cackling.

"Touche," she says, turning her attention back to the sheet. She quirks a brow as something catches her attention. "What's this?"

"What?" Lux asks.

Jinx returns the sheet and points at the very last line. "This."

"Oh. That's my signature."

"You mean that whole thing is your name?"

"Yup. Luxanna Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi-Crownguard, Lady of Luminosity."

Jinx stares blankly at Lux for a few short seconds then bursts out cackling again. "Holy shit! That's insane."

Lux scowls at her. "It showcases my lineage! My revered, ancient bloodline!"

"Chill, Flashlight. I've got lots of names too!"

"Do you now?"

"Yeah! Like monster or murderer or motherfucker."

Lux blinks, stunned. Then she shakes her head. "Are you always this crazy or is it just with me?"

"Nah, you're special!" Jinx waggles her brow.

"Oh, goodie," Lux says flatly.

Jinx beams before plopping down across from Lux. "So hey, explain it to me."

"Explain what?"

"You know," Jinx taps the sheet, "your name! How come you have so many?"

Lux squints at her. "Really?"

"I'm curious! What? I can't be curious?"

She purses her lips, thinking for a second. "It's just… no one ever asked about my name before."

"Well, I'm asking!" Jinx chirps, leaning her elbows on the makeshift desk and resting her chin on both palms.

"Yeah, you are…" Lux hums then clears her throat. She looks down at the sheet, tracing her signature with a forefinger. "Well, to start off, you have my two first names: Luxanna Mignonette."

"You have two first names?" Jinx butts in.

"It's a common practice in Demacia to give a child two first names," Lux explains, going into full lecture mode. "For example, Fiora Laurent is actually Fiora Marie Grimaldi Laurent."

"Huh. Weird."

She ignores Jinx and continues on. "Then there's Thermopolis. It's my mother's maiden name."

"Maiden name?"

"In Demacia, it's customary to have two surnames, with the first being the mother's surname prior to marriage. It's called her 'maiden' name because women are supposed to be virgins before they marry."

"What?! Do Demacians not believe in sex before marriage?"

"Oh no! No, no, no. It's an outdated belief. Sex is now done at a person's discretion. Some still believe in only doing it after marriage. But not all, certainly not."

"What do you believe?"

Lux flushes a bright red. "If it's with someone I care for, I have no objections."

"Hmmm," Jinx purrs, her lips curling up, a sharp glint in her eyes.

Lux hears alarm bells ringing in her head. Still, she meets Jinx's gaze and absolutely refuses to flinch. "I'm a bit of a romantic, yeah."

Jinx barks out a short, stinging laugh. "So, anyways! What's up with your last-last name?"

"Oh, Renaldi-Crownguard? It's an interesting story, actually. My Crownguard ancestors used to be only nameless soldiers. It wasn't until my great grandfather rose to prominence that my family received the name. He had single handedly fended off a squadron of Noxians from the injured King. For his heroic deed, he was dubbed Crownguard. Ever since then, my family has been steadily rising in prestige. But they weren't considered proper nobility.

At least, not before my grandmother married into the family. She was a Renaldi, an old family directly descending from the King's line. When the Crownguards were rising, the Renaldis were falling. They had an obscene excess in spending which resulted in total bankruptcy. And then, there were the damning rumors of George Renaldi, the family patriarch, fathering a child with a Shuriman whore.

Not that bastards were uncommon. No, the shame was due to his obvious and apparent infatuation with his mistress. To save the family some dignity, my grandmother married my grandfather. The Crownguards provided wealth and a good reputation. The Renaldis provided an elevation of status from upstarts to aristocrats."

Jinx sits, mouth open and brows raised. She does nothing but stare at Lux for a good half minute, causing heat to steadily color Lux's cheeks.

"Wow…" Jinx says finally, a little breathless. "TL;DR!"

Lux starts, blinking in confusion. "What?"

"So that's your name, huh?" Jinx taps the sheet again, eyeing the signature. "You have to write all that every time?"

"Only on official documents. It helps the scribes keep track of who did what."

"But it doesn't really tell me about you."

Lux furrows her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Jinx starts, with a careless flip of her bangs, "sure! It tells me who your grandpa did and what your mother is. But it doesn't tell me about you. Like you're a Thermopolis and a Renaldi and a Crownguard. But what's the - the big deal really?"

Lux blinks, frowning. It's a preposterous question, she thinks at first - like a kneejerk reaction. In Demacia, names are everything. It's the first thing everyone considers when meeting someone new. It's the litmus test of worthiness, deciding if a person is noble enough to converse with. It's a neat label, carefully boxing someone up in legacy and duty and expectations. Who your parents are, what family you came from - it told everyone everything they needed to know. But that's in Demacia. And Jinx is very much not Demacian.

"It's family and it's, ugh, blood. I get that," Jinx continues with an uncharacteristically steady expression. "But it doesn't like define you, or anything. You're so much more than a Renaldi or a Crownguard, Flashlight."

"And you would know who I am?" Lux asks wryly.

"Yeah, I do actually," Jinx grins. "You're Lux."

"Lux?"

"Yep, Lux. You're a neat freak-busybody, a total square, a hopeless nerd - !"

"Gee, thanks."

"- and whoever you want to be."

The words give Lux pause. It's a surprisingly uplifting statement and not something she was expecting.

But then, Jinx grins wider and says, "And right now, you're being boring!"

Lux snorts, shaking her head. "Was this whole thing an elaborate plot to stop me from working?"

"Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe."

Lux sighs. "Okay, okay, okay. Just let me put away my things. Then we can hang out."

"Yay!" Jinx cheers, lunging forward and wrapping her arms around Lux.

"Augh! Get off! You'll tip over my desk! If my papers get grass stains, you're paying for it!"

Jinx only laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> spot the reference. tiny drabble for those who get it.


End file.
